One CanTwo TreatsSalt & Vinegar ChickpeasChocolate Mouse

I was recently made aware of AQUAFABA - which is the liquid that your canned / jarred or freshly made beans are stewing in. Sounds pretty gross but this goop that you've been tossing down the drain for years is actually an amazing alternative for eggs / egg whites in recipes that require low or non-protein eggs (think meringue, brownies, Ramos gin fizz, mayonnaise but not angel food cake....)

Since I was a kid I've been drawn to sour and salty - give me a bag of salt and vinegar chips / crisps and I'll make them disappear faster than you could possibly imagine. I used to eat lemons like a regular kid would eat an orange - actually more like an apple because more often than not I'd eat the skin too!!

I don't have a massive sweet tooth and tend to go for smaller, richer, decadent treats when I do indulge - usually dark chocolate or dark chocolate with mint or dark chocolate with chili or some such iteration... So finding a recipe for aquafaba was pure indulgence..... Although the recipe on Mouth Watering Vegan for Mousse au Chocolate gives the option to use sugar - I opted for the easy way out and actually just used an entire Lily's Chocolate Dark Chocolate Baking Bar which already has stevia in it and it's fair trade too. Another reason to love this recipe - it only has 3-4 ingredients in it!!

I'm a huge fan of cook once, eat twice so to be able to make two entirely different treats from one $1.99 can was pretty awesome.

So - the honest review - I loved both - there's a small window between the chickpeas tasting a little soggy and them being overdone - definitely need to keep an eye on them after 25 minutes, as she says. I thought they were delicious - but again, I LOVE SALT AND VINEGAR!!! The chocolate mousse was delicious but crazy rich and the husband and wee girl were not fans - but, they eat milk chocolate like it's going out of style - so no surprises there. I actually didn't put salt into the mixture but rather sprinkled Maldon Sea Salt over the top - POW! Also with the aquafaba - be patient - expect to be whizzing it up for a good 10+ minutes (electric whisk is a must) - it's pretty wild to see garbonzo bean juice whipped into peaks!!

Have you experimented with AQUAFABA yet??? I'd love to hear what you made and how it worked out.